A federal judge in Maryland issued an injunction Monday against President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, ruling that it trampled on privacy rules when it gained “seemingly unfettered” access to the Education Department’s personnel files.
U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman said the administration never gave a good enough explanation for why DOGE needed that access. She said a “vague” order to “improve government efficiency” doesn’t count. She said that put DOGE afoul of the Privacy Act.
“No matter how important or urgent the President’s DOGE agenda may be, federal agencies must execute it in accordance with the law. That likely did not happen in this case,” said Judge Boardman, a Biden appointee.
Judge Boardman had previously issued a temporary restraining order.
Monday’s ruling stiffens that into a preliminary injunction, which is a more lasting blockade on DOGE.
The judge ordered the Education and Treasury departments and the Office of Personnel Management not to disclose any personal identifying information to DOGE employees or “affiliates.”
The lawsuit was led by the American Federation of Teachers.
AFT President Randi Weingarten said Monday’s ruling was important for millions of Americans whose student loan or financial aid information sits in Education Department computers.
“They do not expect it to be transferred to a third party, rifled through by outsiders or fed into AI software,” she said. “This is the United States, not Putin’s Russia, and Americans still believe our government should preserve freedom and privacy.”
